Eagles Leaning Into Under-Center Looks - And It’s Starting to Pay Off
There’s been a noticeable shift in the Eagles’ offensive identity lately - and it starts with where Jalen Hurts is lining up.
For most of the season, Philadelphia leaned heavily on the shotgun, a staple of their modern RPO-heavy scheme. But in Sunday’s win over the Raiders, the Eagles lined up under center on a season-high 45.5% of their offensive snaps - a stark contrast to their season-low 47% shotgun usage. That’s the most under-center work we’ve seen from this team all year, and it’s not just a one-off.
This isn’t just about formations. It’s about rhythm, timing, and a quarterback evolving midseason.
Quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo spoke Wednesday about Hurts’ progress in this area, and it’s clear the work is paying off.
“He’s done a really good job,” Patullo said. “He works extremely hard at it.
You can see him even in between periods, in between special teams stuff - whatever he needs to do. He’s working on his footwork, working on the timing.
He’s extremely dedicated to make sure he’s always on time and in rhythm.”
It’s not just coach-speak. The tape backs it up. Hurts looks more comfortable under center than he did earlier in the year, and the offense is starting to reflect that.
Let’s zoom out a bit. The Eagles began sprinkling in more under-center looks around Week 7.
Between Weeks 7 and 11, they went 4-0, knocking off the Vikings, Giants, Packers, and Lions. Now, they weren’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard - they scored just 26 combined points against Green Bay and Detroit - but the shift in approach was clear.
Then came a dip. In the following stretch against Dallas, Chicago, and LA, the shotgun usage spiked again - and the Eagles dropped all three games.
It’s not a perfect correlation, but the pattern is hard to ignore.
Over the last two weeks, the under-center usage has ticked up again - 22.7% against the Rams, then 45.5% against the Raiders. And the offense? It’s looked more fluid, more balanced, and - maybe most importantly - less predictable.
That’s the key here. This isn’t about abandoning the shotgun or reinventing the wheel.
It’s about giving defenses more to think about. When Hurts is under center, it opens up the play-action game, gives the run game a different look, and helps vary the tempo.
It’s another tool in the toolbox - and the Eagles are starting to use it more effectively.
There’s still room for growth. The offense hasn’t been perfect, and they’ll need to keep fine-tuning things if they want to make another deep postseason run. But if this trend continues, it could be a sign of a more adaptable, more dangerous Eagles attack heading into the final stretch of the season.
Next up: a divisional showdown in Washington. If the Eagles can carry this momentum - and this newfound balance - into that matchup, they’ll be one step closer to locking up another NFC East crown.